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27th May 2007 - We're BARFing experts now

Well I have been entering the daily meals here long enough I think. Anybody who is following should have a reasonably good idea of what kinds of foods have been fed.

One question that often comes up for people is how much to feed when you are feeding home cooked, or home prepared BARF (bones & raw foods).

Basically you feed from 2% - 4% of your dogs ideal body weight. However each dog is unique so you just use this as a starting point & then you adjust accordingly.

It seems 2% is a good starting place for large adult dogs
2 - 4% a good starting place for small dogs like CKCS
3 - 4% a good starting place for a growing puppy *

*Baby puppies are worked out a different way. They need much more food per body weight than adults & older puppies. I might write something up on this later, but not right now.

So, I started Sam & Scarlett (the Boxers) on 2% of their ideal body weight and I am pleased to say that Sam who is trim & taught has remained that way, neither losing nor gaining weight. Scarlett who has become a little over weight in her senior years is losing weight slowly and that to is excellent.

Because Sonny is a small breed I started him off on 4% of his ideal body weight, which happens also to be his true body weight. I found that he was starting to put weight on, which I don't want, so I have cut him back to 3%. So it seems 3% is the correct amount for him. I weigh them all weekly.

Little Beau is getting 3%. I would rather grow him slowly than have him get all fat & rolly polly.

So summing up

Sam & and Scarlett get 2% of their body weight in raw foods daily and Beau & Sonny get 3%.

For example: Sonny weighs 8.5 kilograms and that also is his ideal weight. So 2% of 8.5 kilograms is 255 grams. Because I feed him twice a day, he gets 2 meals a day each of 127 grams.